Scam: free tix tied to Ticketmaster breach

TOO LATE: UFC 295, which took place in November 2023, is among the events listed in an email scam offering two free tickets for Ticketmaster customers who were victims in July’s massive data breach of the ticketing firm. (Getty Images)

Life is imitating art in the bizarro world of live entertainment.

The massive Ticketmaster data breach that took place in July is now manifesting itself in phishing scams offering two free tickets to sports events and concerts to customers whose personal data was stolen in the breach.

An email forwarded to VenuesNow on Wednesday from a Ticketmaster customer showed a message tagged with “Ticketmaster data breach — IMPORTANT UPDATE” in the subject line.

VenuesNow forwarded the email to Ticketmaster officials as requested and they confirmed that the email was fake and not issued by the company.

The bogus email, featuring a plain blue Ticketmaster header, contains a message that starts with “Important Security Update & What We’re Doing About It.” It mentions the “recent data breach affecting some customers” and that they can “rest assured that we have quickly addressed the issue and your personal information is now safe.”

The message says as a thank you for their “understanding and patience,” Ticketmaster is giving customers complimentary tickets for two people to any event of their choice. “Whether you’re a fan of the NFL, NHL or concerts, this is your chance to enjoy a fantastic experience on us.”

A blue button is in place for customers to push to receive their complimentary tickets.

Further proof that the email is a scam is shown in a list of upcoming events, assumed to be part of the ticket offer, that include non-existent Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Harry Styles dates and UFC 295, which took place in 2023.

The 2025 Super Bowl is also listed among “upcoming events” with an incorrect date of Feb. 11. The correct date is Feb. 9 in New Orleans.

The breach four months ago affected 560 million Ticketmaster customers, prompting the company to send individual ticket buyers of the issue and to take steps to protect their identity online.

Lawsuits have recently been filed against Ticketmaster over the breach. Most recently, on Oct. 30, one person was arrested in Canada in connection with multiple hacks, including Ticketmaster.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated.